Man in Sulaymaniyah accused of AI voice scam that netted…
A 24-year-old man in Sulaymaniyah was arrested for using AI voice synthesis to pose as a woman on Snapchat and defraud a victim of $17,000
- Incident date
- Aug 2024
- Target
- unnamed resident
In August 2024, Sulaymaniyah police arrested a 24-year-old suspect accused of utilizing artificial intelligence to conduct a sophisticated romance scam. The perpetrator allegedly deceived a resident out of $17,000 by impersonating a woman on the social media platform Snapchat.
What happened
The suspect, identified by the initials D.T.A., created a fraudulent Snapchat account under a woman’s identity to initiate contact with the victim. To maintain the deception, the suspect used AI-powered voice synthesis technology to alter his voice, making it sound female during his interactions.
By leveraging this technology, the suspect successfully built a fake romantic relationship with the complainant. Once the victim had transferred the funds, the suspect deleted the account to cover his tracks. Following a formal complaint, the Raparin Police Station launched an investigation, leading to the suspect’s arrest. During questioning, the individual confessed to the scheme. He is currently detained by order of an investigating judge under Article 2 of Iraq’s Law on the Misuse of Communication Devices and Article 456 of the penal code as the investigation continues.